Volume 6: Northern Yorkshire

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Current Display: Barningham 01, Yorkshire North Riding Forward button Back button
Overview
Present Location
Lost. It had disappeared by 1904 (Morris, J. 1904)
Evidence for Discovery
Removed from the foundations of the parish church when it was pulled down and rebuilt in 1816 (Whitaker 1823). Lying in the centre of the churchyard, almost covered with soil and grass, when recorded by Longstaffe (1847).
Church Dedication
St Michael
Present Condition
Unobtainable, but from the engraving it appears to have been complete with a distinct area of damage across the broadest part.
Description

Longstaffe's illustration is the only record.

A (top) : There is a plain edge moulding round the perimeter. A broad strand with double outline forms five registers of two-cord twist, openly arranged, and within each medallion is a smaller oval ring in median-incised strand. The broad strand narrows towards the foot and changes into a narrow median-incised strand which interlaces with the principle twists and rings. It employs diagonalling strands and pattern E loops in the spandrels.

B–E: 'The sides are also richly sculptured with knotwork, but ... mutilated' (Longstaffe 1847, 358).

Discussion

This was described as a 'coffin lid' and its shape suggests that. The long diagonals suggest a pre-Viking Age date but the interlace is not as complex as on a slab such as Kirkdale 8 (Lang 1991, 162–3, ill. 563).

Date
Late eighth to ninth century
References
Whitaker 1823, I, 202; Longstaffe 1847, 357–8, fig.; Cutts 1849, 76, pl. XXXV; Longstaffe 1852, 212 and fig.; Longstaffe 1854, 215, fig.; Whellan 1859, II, 466; Allen and Browne 1885, 352; Bulmer 1890, 355; Hodges 1894, 195; Morris, J. 1904, 58; Collingwood 1907, 275, 299; Collingwood 1912, 123; Collingwood 1915, 286; Morris, C. 1976a, 141; Morris, C. 1976b, 11
Endnotes
None

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